Bottle: Poured a light black color ale with a medium size foamy head with average retention and some light lacing. Aroma of stale earthy hops with light dry roasted malt is not very good. Taste is also dominated by stale hops with unrefined grainy notes and light dry bitter finish. Body is a bit thin with good carbonation. Definitely below par for the style IMHO.

Got this at the local liquor store down the road. Nice to see these guys become available so close to home.

From a bottle into a snifter

APPEARANCE: A clear brown pour yields a one finger, medium looking, creamy, light tan head with good retention. Head slowly fades to a thin wisp and ring. Clear black body with lower levesl of carbonation evident. A splotchy wisp and ring remain but leave no real lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Light roasted notes with chocolate as well, much like a porter, then some piney and floral hops. Not quite bold enough to be really interesting, unfortunately. The porter elements are more prevalent than the IPA as well.

TASTE: This is much more like a bitter porter than a hoppy black ale. Porter comes first with roasted notes and some dark chocolate flavors. Cocoa powder as well. Very bitter after the swallow with more dark chocolate, cocoa powder, some bitter floral hops and light lemon notes. A bold and lingering hop bitter aftertaste. This is almost just bitter without any complex flavors, and it's missing some of the standart IPA components. Still, this is a tasty beer.

OVERALL: This was a good beer for sure, but it was more of a bitter porter than a hoppy black ale. I'd expect to find more of the classic IPA flavors, but that didn't happen. That said, this was enjoyable and I wouldn't turn it down. Would be nice to find this on tap somewhere as well.

A 330ml bottle with a BB of June 2014, so it's a bit out of date. Hopefully still in good condition. Acquired a while back from Trembling Madness in York. The label doesn't give much away.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. Bottle conditioned. A very dark reddish-brown hue that appears pitch black in the glass. Produces a decent head of creamy beige foam that lasts for a few minutes before settling as a patchy surface layer. Slight lacing. Aroma of fruity hops with hints of grapefruit, peel, citrus, mild pine, roasted malt, subtle burnt grain, molasses, earthy yeast and stewed hops. A twinge of butteriness in the background along with some warming booze. Not too bad.

Tasty - a big beer with a big character. Looks alright, while the aroma and flavour are seriously hoppy and stuffed with dark malt notes. Bitter and boozy. Nice body. Goes down OK; I would wish for the hops to be slightly better defined but the bottle age probably influences that. If you're a fan of black IPAs then this is worth checking out.

This was a really interesting beer. And, I enjoyed it very much. But it is not an IPA. The hops component is very muted; so much so that this beer should probably be classified as a porter. The malt and creaminess are very pronounced. Thick, fruity, chocolatey...all there and all good. This is my second offering from this brewery and I've been impressed. I hope I can have the chance to try some more.

A-Black with a large tan head that left a heavy lace on the glassS-roasted malt with some hops and sweet chocalate notesT- burnt roasted malt with a bitter hop aftertaste and a hoppy finish that slowly fadesM-light body with a creamy feelO-burnt roasted taste seems to be highlighted by a hoppy aftertaste and a hop finish. Could smell chocalate but never found it in the taste

Black with some brown color on the edges. Very little head on top of it. The little head it has, it is brown in color. The aroma is dominated by grilled bread. Its the only thing I notice in the nose. Taste is very intense compared to the aroma. Well balanced. It starts with chocolate and then the bitterness takes all the place. Nice taste. Dry finish. Medium body. The alcohol is well hidden.

A nice black IPA that could also be a stout... only lacks in the body for a stout.